Friday the Thireenth

These are the things of which you need not be afraid:

Ghoulies and ghosties, and longlegettie beasties,

And things that go bump in the night.

You need not fear them.

The wrath of a jealous deity

The nattering of a meddling priest

The tarot card’s prophecy of doom

You need not fear them.

The muttering terrorist in a head rag, plotting evil

The chainsaw wielding maniac in an ice hockey mask,

These are distant fears.

You need not fear them.

There are dangers far more profound

Threats greater by far

Of which to be afraid.

Yes, be afraid –

Of he who would bring you Freedom

At the point of a gun, torture the innocent

Destroy and occupy your nation

And kill you in the name of Liberty.

Of Empires which believe in Exceptionalism

In Divine Sanction, Chosen People

And Manifest Destiny.

Of the faceless corporation

Which would take your land and water

In the name of Holy Profit, Privatisation

And Efficiency.

Of the germs which melt flesh from bone

And for which you have no answer

Because there is more money

To be made in curing baldness

Or obesity.

Of the desert creeping, the icecaps melting

Of the planet dying

All because of resource plunder

And Enterprise that’s Free.

Of politicians who sell your trust

Of media which lies to you

Of advertisers who sell you myths

Of Consumer Society.

Of walls that lock you in

Of breathing air tainted by the smoke

Of cremated honour and savaged honesty.

Of a planet where no birds fly

Where the seas are dead

Where the burned lands lie awaiting

The true End of History.

These are the things to fear

While terrorists scowl, heroes rage 

Monsters growl on the TV screen

And vampires gnash their plastic fangs

Harmlessly.

Copyright B Purkayastha 2012